


Journey's End

by GanNatsuki



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Don't own anything, I think ...?, Other, Pre-War Angst, Pre-War Fluff, Sole Survivor/Spouse/OC, my take on polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-12 21:04:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12968394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GanNatsuki/pseuds/GanNatsuki
Summary: Nora falls easily, that’s always been the kind of gal she’s been. When she falls, she falls hard.





	Journey's End

**Author's Note:**

> Everything comes from a good place. It's the journey that determines its end.

Nora falls easily, that’s always been the kind of gal she’s been. When she falls, she falls hard. It’s easy in high school though, because the cute linebacker on the football team likes her too. He has a good heart and a great bod. Nora’s first few dates are on cloud nine, smitten with the boy that smiles with sunshine. He laughs at her jokes, and her heart is warm when they hold hands. Nate feels like Spring will bloom again and again.

As good fortune would have it, Nora is emotionally ready for a long term relationship once Nate admits he’s a little in love with her too. Her love life is steady and full of colour, bursting with contentment and calm disagreements. Neither partner is cross enough to ever stay mad for long. Nora decides to go to university while Nate joins the military.

Nora stays strong in the absence of Nate, and they exchange letters while Nate is on the other side of the country. Their love holds strong.

 

—

 

Nora falls easily, and by university, she suddenly realizes that she is capable of falling for more than one person at a time. She learns this with long talks with her roommate and late nights watching B-rated horror films. They are quiet apart, often chilly when the other is not around. The two go out for lunch on days they’re free, give each other tight hugs and chaste kisses when bidding farewell for the summer. Abigail’s Autumn arrives again with hot cocoa and shared scarves. Nora’s heart is always full of contentment with Abigail.

Abigail knows about Nate. She doesn’t know what to think of him. She’s scared of them, of boys, and of the boy that Nora holds close to her heart. Abigail wonders if she can even stand a chance.

 

 

Nate returns from his years of service and meets Nora’s Abigail. He knows the gaze Nora holds for Abigail all too well. He doesn’t like it when Nora looks at another person like that. Nora tells them together that she is emotionally bound to both, and losing either beloved would scar her deeply. They both know this, they all know this, but Abigail is scared and Nate doesn’t like change.

Abigail thinks she’s at a disadvantage. Same sex relationships are not okay in her life, even in free America. Nate and Nora have been happily together for three years already. There is no room for her here. She decides to live on her own, and cuts her feelings off with an internship. It doesn’t work. She begins to drink alone. This works a little better.

Nora hears about this. She doesn’t take it well. In fact, she’s worried beyond sanity. Nate is angry. He’s angry for Nora, at Abigail. He tells Nora that he wants to work things out with Abigail. Nora bursts into tears for the first time in seven years.

Nate emails Abigail. Abigail doesn’t respond. Nate emails Abigail’s friends. He learns a little more about her:

Abigail comes from a house of skewed privilege. It seems like a toxic culture, but her friends keep reassuring Nate that it isn’t as bad as it seems. Regardless, Abigail fell deeply in love with Nora, and suppressing her feelings until she can’t feel them anymore. Nate asks for Abigail’s personal email.

 

Subject: Nora is worried.

Hey Abigail, it’s Nate messaging you. I asked around for your personal  
email, and one of your friends decided to give it to me. I hope you don’t  
find me intrusive.

I want to talk. I don’t know you as well as Nora does, but I want to start. I  
know this is weird, and I know I’m being weird, but I can’t really let this  
slide knowing you’re hurting yourself because of this. I think you’re worth  
more than that.

Let me know if you want to talk,

Nathaniel Fleisch

 

Abigail thought Nora was her true love. She was never treated the way Nora treated her, loved her, and made her feel special and at home. Abigail’s heart mourns as her head tells her to let it be; it was never meant to be.

Abigail responds to Nathan’s email with professional contempt. She’s learned from Nora how to be positively vile in an email format. She receives a phone call an hour after her reply. Nora’s voice is sobbing. Abigail hangs up almost immediately. Guilt blooms in her chest, but Abigail doesn’t call back.

Months full of tears and heated arguments follow. All three of them say things they regret: Nathan shames Abigail for being such a coward, Nora swears to end her life, Abigail says she never wants to talk to either of them again.

Nora finally puts her foot down. She goes to Abigail’s address and knocks on her door. She waits for three hours on her doorstep, talking to the door, spilling all of her feelings to the door. Abigail doesn’t make a sound until Nora chokes. Nora never cries, she’s never cried about Nate. Abigail opens the door, ready to burst into tears.

Nora hugs Abigail. Abigail hugs her back. They don’t let go for another three hours.

 

—

 

Nate finally takes Abigail out on a date. Nora cracks up while sending the two off, watching how the two dance around each other. Nate trips over the front step, and Abigail spills her water all over the carpet. They leave the apartment with as much room between them as possible. Nora takes a photo to commemorate.

Nate does not know what to talk about, so he talks about the date plan he has for tonight. Go for a nice dinner with a beautiful view, take a walk down by the waterfront, have some coffee or tea while chatting— tonight’s weather is perfect for such an outing. Abigail quietly goes along, mentioning how much she would appreciate that. After that, it would be around 9:00pm, a perfectly chivalrous time to take a lady home— 

Nate nearly spits his wine out when Abigail mentions staying the night. Something about watching movies cuddled up in front of the television, but Nate is too busy trying not to stain his starched shirt to completely comprehend past the mention of…

“Oh, no, not like that,” Abigail struggles to clarify. Her skin flushes with the idea that she’s even considered, maybe, potentially, conceptually, a teensy bit sexy to the opposite sec. Especially a pretty boy like Nathan. And although Nate thinks she looks gorgeous in the dim light, it’s been too damn long since either of them tried to flirt. Nate quickly changes the topic.

Abigail is a beautiful contrast to the crusty men and women in the military. Her family moved to Boston from Canada two generations back. She’s finishing her bachelor’s in chemical engineering, and plans on continuing her career at Hallucigen. She mentions the internship was a life-saver, since her academic record isn’t the best. Abigail’s voice is quiet and the girl chooses her words carefully, wary of implications she does not mean. She off handedly mentions that she speaks four different languages as fluently as a university student can. Nate is more than surprised.

“That’s incredible,” he marvels. He can barely count to ten in French, let alone three others. Abigail wants to shove his praise back down his throat, but doesn’t know how to without coming off as being too aggressive. Nate smiles warmly at the flash of something beyond the meek little Chinese girl. Abigail decidedly changes the topic.

Nate is the exact replica of all the nice American jocks Abigail met in high school, but nicer. He listens to everything with an ear for detail, and makes sure that he hears everything she has to say.

Abigail lived the life of luxury that any Chinese immigrant could never dream of, but on the other, she was wrought with the expectations her family gave her. Abigail’s Chinese name was Hu Xueyan, but her mother gave her the name Abigail when her father passed.

This is such a sudden change from what she’s used to, that she admits boys scare her, even now. Good looking boys are even more scary, and she tells Nate, the very good looking boy, just so. He tells Abigail that he finds her adorable, which makes her flush even more with embarrassment. Nate’s grades were passable in high school, which frankly shocks Abigail. She blurts out that Nora is so much smarter than either of them, why would she want either of us?

Nate cracks up in a way that was very similar to how Nora sent them off earlier that evening. He wipes a tear from his eye, and ponders exactly that— which Abigail interprets as mockery. Abigail fumes quietly as Nate tells her it’s probably because everyone that was smarter couldn’t handle the amount of heart she has. She’s too sensitive for the average person, Nate declares.

A pause.

Nora’s duress is well known to both parties on this date. This fight that never ended about who was keeping her is too long for anyone to finish. Both can see how much hurt Nora is going through, both can see how much she cares. The fight has gone on for a long time, far too long. Everyone’s tired. both parties say what’s on their mind.

“She only smiles a fraction of what she used to.”

“Despite my best efforts, I can never escape from either of you.”

Nate tries to stop hot tears from escaping, and Abigail gets the bill. Abigail is the one to drive the two home. Her heart aches as she listens to Nate’s whimpers, and softly sings the lullabies her father once sang to her in hopes of helping his pain.

The car arrives at the Fleisches’ home. Abigail opens the door to let Nate come out, and silently asks for his hand. She urges them to both change into pyjamas and crawl into bed.

That night, both Abigail and Nate sandwich a sleeping Nora, holding hands while they snuggle up to the sleeping girl. That night, as they both drift off to sleep, they decide to start trying harder.

 

 

The following months are full of bliss. Abigail moves in after a month of hesitation, and they finally buy a king sized bed for the three of them. Three toothbrushes are in the bathroom instead of two, morning kisses are only allowed after everyone brushes their teeth, no exceptions. Abigail wants a cat. Nora wants a dog. The two battle it out as Nate decides to watch the news for the next week. Nora cries in Nate’s arms as Abigail huffs beside during Friday’s movie night.

Nora’s tear gates open. She protests that this wasn’t always the case when Abigail’s teasing becomes too much for her.

“What do you mean you didn’t cry for seven years? You cry when you stub your toe too hard and we both have to kiss it at the same time before you stop your snotting.”

“For the three years that I didn’t know your existence, Nora watched three of her favourite tearjerkers and had a poker face the entire time. I, in fact, used to be the crybaby.”

“As little as I trust you Nathan, (“Ouch,” Nate winces) I’m going to have to call your bluff.”

“… Guys, I have something to tell you. I’m an alien from the planet Zeta. I only look like Nora Goodfield, the real Nora Goodfield has been dissected and preserved for future Zetans to study.”

“Wait, then how did human Nora not cry at Harley and He?”

“We Zetans are capable of human empathy, however Nora Goodfield remains an anomaly.”

 

 

But everyone involved knows that all good things must come to an end.

The society Abigail lives in only allows opposite gender relationships, monogamy only. Abigail confides her conflicts to her own sister, and is betrayed. Gossip spreads, her entire family knows. Abigail is sent away before any other family member to a Chinese internment camp. The last letter to Nora comes from the federal government, a message informing them of Abigail’s death.

The remaining couple is heartbroken. Nora retreats into a shell of herself. Nate enlists in the army for the war. Any pictures of Abigail are almost burned, but the couple decides to put them away instead. The two of them mourn together and leave the city Boston for the suburbs of Sanctuary Hills. Nora graduates on the Dean’s list. Nate returns as a decorated war hero.

Shaun is conceived and born. They begin to pick up new pieces to fill the puzzle of their broken lives. Nora is diagnosed with severe depression. Nate picks up a prescription for her. It doesn’t help much.

Halloween nears, and Autumn’s chill with Abigail starts to bite less. The fourth anniversary of her death is fleeting.The bombs drop in celebration of the 23rd of October. Everything is a rush, everything is left behind. Nora cries into Shaun’s arms as she runs with him to the nearby vault, Nathan trailing behind. She stops her tears to talk with the vault guard, only to cry again. 

Nate thought nothing else could hurt more than Abigail’s death. Nora and Shaun are only an arm’s reach away.

But just like with Abigail, Nora and Shaun both leave in the worst way they can, with the old world following them close behind.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so rusty. Help me get back into shape and let me know what you thought of this piece.
> 
> Thanks for reading. Thanks in advance if you decide to give some feedback.


End file.
